Bill: Ban Smoking in Cars with Children

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina bill making it illegal for drivers or passengers to smoke with a child in the vehicle is up for debate by a House panel.

A House subcommittee is set to consider the bill Wednesday.

It would bar smoking a cigarette when there’s a child in the vehicle in a safety seat. State law requires children up to six years old and up to 80 pounds to be in a safety or booster seat.

Someone caught smoking in the car could be fined $25.

Proponents have said it’s about protecting children from the dangers of second-hand smoke. Democratic Sen. Darrell Jackson of Hopkins initially proposed the idea in 2007 after seeing a woman in a Wal-Mart parking lot puffing away with a child strapped in the back seat.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All rights reserved.)